OAL hoops playoff field is set

The Oakland Athletic League wrapped up its regular season today and the playoff field is now set. On the boys side, McClymonds beat Castlemont 51-35 to finish 10-0. It had already claimed the No. 1 seed. Skyline beat Tech 76-64, meaning Skyline is the No. 2 seed and Castlemont takes the No. 3 seed. The girls field had already been set prior to today, although Castlemont upset Mack to hand the Warriors their first OAL loss and snap their 16-game winning streak. Here is the OAL playoff schedule.

First round

March 3 at Laney College

Girls: No. 3Castlemont vs. No. 2 Oakland Tech, 4:30 p.m.

Boys: No. 3 Castlemont vs. No. 2 Skyline, 6 p.m.

Championship game

March 5 at Laney College

Girls: Castlemont/Oakland Tech winner vs. No. 1 McClymonds, 4:30 p.m.

Boys: Castlemont/Skyline winner vs. No. 1 McClymonds, 6 p.m.

If either of the top seeds lose, there will be a championship game rematch on March 6 at Laney College.

Jimmy Durkin

I cover mostly San Jose State football for the San Jose Mercury News/Bay Area News Group, but also fill in from time to time with the 49ers, Warriors, A's and Giants.

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The OAL always produce some great games during playoffs. It would be nice to see the OAL add a 4th team to play the #1 seed and eliminate the double elimination for the top seed(like football).

BigGreen

I agree with you T.McDonald. I thought they were going to change it a few years ago but they did not. I think it is pointless for a team to have to be the #1 seed twice, it should just be 1 and done. But Honestly I don’t think these playoffs will be that good. Skyline is decent but Castlemont is not that exciting to watch this year in my opinion.

http://www.famecharter.org Alvin Burns

Hey, Checkout FAME Public Charter School’s High School Boys Basketball team, they winners. What up with the BACSAC (BAY AREA CHARTER SCHOOL ATHLETIC CONFERENCE?

Bert McGhee Jr

I agree with the first two posts here & like BigGreen said I also thought that they was going to do away with that playoff system of the #2 vs #3, and then beating the #1 twice. I also like the idea of the top 4 teams in the OAL, playing it out in the playoffs – because lets face it fellows – “The OAL Has Ballers” & I think that they would represent Northern Ca. well in the State Finals.

BigGreen

I feel ya, and i wonder why they have it that way, because to me it doesn’t make sense!

XTower

Hey Jimmy,
When was the last time a team had back-to-back 10-0 seasons in the OAL? I’m 99.9 percent sure that Tech didn’t do it and I don’t even think Fremont did it in the 90s.

E_CULB

I think Fremont did go 20-0 in 95-96, they were real. I personally think that the playoff srtucture as is, is fine. Being that the OAL is both a league and a section, if the format changed to the way you guys are suggesting the comming in first place doesnt really mean anything. Whatever team comes in first is 100% the best team the league has to offer for an oppurtunity to make a run un the state playoffs. It’s not like the EBAL,ACCAL, and these other leagues where you can come in first place in your league, lose in the playoffs and still have an chance in the section playoffs. Having to beat the first place team twice in the OAL is equivalent to having to go through the NCS and win from a 5 seed or lower. And if you think about it even though in football if the 1st place team plays the 4th place team they would still have only played each other twice. If they do that in basketball in most years that would mean the first place team would have to beat a team who they probably already have beaten twice as is a third time and for the right to do what play in the title game? Naw if you go through the OAL which is by far one of the top leagues in the state and you end up in first. Then you deserve the right to to have automatic placement in the NorCAl’s and the upper hand in winning the league title.

BigGreen

I feel you on that,but how can that even make sense. You might as well make the championship the best 2 out of 3 then. or get rid of the extra game,and it can be lose and it over, still have chance for an at large bid,forget the extra game and beating the team twice,if you in then it’s over,the extra game makes no sense.

E_CULB

The extra game rewards the first place team for handling there bizness for the 10 game regular season.

BigGreen

So you think it is fair that if the first place team comes out and loses the first game of the championship, they get another night to redeem themselves. Thye already get rewarded with the Bye. No need for an extra game if the lose in the championship. Because even if they lose, they will more than likely get an at large bid for NCS right!Just like the year Tech lost the first championship game to Castlemont then came back and won they next night, to me it didn’t feel like we won the championship, or when tech beat Mack in the first championship game, then had to come back and beat them again, to me the first game is what counts.

BigGreen

But I do agree with you on this E, and that it makes the lead more competitive in a sense that now all the teams are really fighting to win each game because they know only 3 will make in out of 6, so every game is vital.In the other leagues, you get 5 to 6 teams sometimes that get in like the Big East. So I guess my only issue is the extra game, because the 1st place team gets to come and scout both teams the night before to see what they are doing, and they get time to rest up already.

BeCoolPicou

I agree with BigGreen, get rid of the extra game, that year Tech lost to Castlemont in game one of the finals (2001) had a “personal” affect on me so maybe Im being bias because Ive always felt like that was really our ring (Castlemont). But it takes alot for a Tech fan to admit that it didnt feel like you guys earned the ring. The league is down a little this year but it should still be exciting!!!!

Bert McGhee Jr

OK – Fellows – here you go,
The Division Champ does not play in the playoffs, that team has earn an auto invite into the NCS, – now the playoffs should be between the #2 & #3 teams in a best 2 of 3 format and the winner of the series would also be in. Because I think that the OAL has the talent to have at lease 2 teams in the “Big Dance” (maybe 3).

E_Culb

They automatically get two in no section gets more than that.

Bert McGhee Jr

Oh – I didn’t know that E_Culb – Cool – two teams it is, but in a way that’s even better, because the game between #2 & #3 will diffently be a “Dog Fight”. It will be a good game because they will have something to play for, and as far as the #1 team getting rusty by sitting around – what’s that old school saying,
Oh Yea:
“If You Stay Ready – You Don’t Have To Get Ready”!
(LoL)

XTower

Just to be picky, the OAL gets two bids to the NorCal playoffs, not NCS.

E_Culb

Yes the NCS does X Tower, the only one that maybe does not is the SF section.

XTower

ECulb,
Sorry, that wasn’t very clear. You’re right, NCS gets two bids, like the OAL. But it’s to the NorCal playoffs, not the NCS playoffs.
That’s all I was pointing out.

Kyle Bonagura

Actually, NCS gets 10 bids to NorCals if you include all five divisions.

OAL gets two, but regardless of the enrollment those two have to play at Division 1 for state purposes. Doesn’t Mack have the enrollment that makes in the equivalent to a D4 team?

http://ibabuzz.com/prepcorner Jimmy Durkin

Yeah, Mack would be Div. IV. I wouldn’t mind seeing them play Salesian or St. Mary’s, but I still think its better off that they play Div. I.

E_Culb

No problem Tower, well Jimmy maybe you can answer this question what if no team from the city qualifies for D-1 who does that bid go to?

http://ibabuzz.com/prepcorner Jimmy Durkin

If the City didn’t have a D-1 team qualify, then there would only be eight teams in the field and we wouldn’t have that extra play-in game to face the top seed. There would be two each from the NCS, CCS, SJS and Oakland.

The SFS does actually get two automatic bids and those just go in whichever division those teams are in. Unlike NCS, the NorCal brackets are not set on how many teams have to be in. If there’s eight auto bids, eight will be in. If there’s a ninth team, the 8 and 9 seeds essentially play a play-in game.

Here’s the write up from CIF:

The CCS, NCS and SJS will have two automatic entries in each of the five divisions; the NS will have two automatic entries in Divisions II-V; the OS will have two automatic berths in Division I; the SFS will have two automatic berths and their entries will be placed into their respective enrollment division.

BigGreen

Well it looks like Skyline pulled it out tonight against Castlemont in overtime. And Castlmont girls beat Tech in overtime as well. So will Skyline even make it a game against Mack, and can Castlemont girls stop Mack girls from the perfect dream season? What you guys think?

dez

Mack will probably will both games but get their early because the OAL people will close the doors if it fills up and it fills up early